This invention relates generally to a candle using liquid fuel and more specifically relates to a candle having adjustment for the flame intensity, and still more particularly relates to a candle using liquid fuel and having automatic flame extinquisher means.
In the past, candles using liquid fuel have been constructed to provide adjustment of the intensity of the candle flame and included means for automatically snuffing out the candle flame when the candle became unstable or tipped over. This type of candle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,158,015 (1964), Inventor F. W. RENWICK, SR. ET AL, and entitled "Artificial Candle," and comprised a container for liquid fuel terminating in an upper opening. A cap closed the container opening and included a central hole. An externally threaded cylindrical member was positioned in the hole. A wick portion protruded out from the upper end of the cylindrical member to provide the cite for the flame, and the wick extended downward therefrom through the cylindrical member and the hole in the cap, so that the bottom portion of the wick was immersed in the fuel. An internally threaded tube engaged the cylindrical member for moving upward and downward on the cylindrical member for varying the intensity of the flame. The outside surface of the tube was constructed into an hexagonal configuration. A bell shaped snuffer enclosed the cylindrical member and the tube, and included a dome and a neck extending upward therefrom having an hexagonal inside surface for receiving the complementary hexagonal surface of the tube. The rotating of the bell snuffer would cause the tube to move upward or downward for varying the flame intensity. If the candle was tipped over or became unstable it was intended that the bell snuffer would responsively move outward and over the flame to extinquish the flame.
The aforedescribed U.S. Pat. No. 3,158,015, afforded positive means for adjusting the candle but at times would not respond to move outward for extinquishing the flame. This malfunction was attributed to the frictional contact of the ribs of the tube in the grooves of the neck of the bell snuffer of the complementary hexagonal surfaces. Moreover, when the bell snuffer did automatically move outward away from the candle to extinquish the flame, there was nothing to retain the bell snuffer in place, so that often times the bell snuffer was not repositioned on the candle for subsequent use.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,885,905 (1975), Inventor CLAYTON GIANGIULIO, and entitled "Candle with Automatic Snuffer" describes a candle having a container with liquid combustible fuel terminating into an open neck. A cap member comprising a flanged side wall, a conical wall and a central cylindrical hub, integrally connected as one piece was positioned over the neck of the container. A wick folded over itself is looped over a pin attached to the upper end of the cylindrical hub, and thereby positioning the wick tip on the outside of the hub to serve as the cite for the flame. A hollow snuffer of conical shape is loosely coupled to the cap member and is freely rotatable about the axis of the cylindrical hub, to move outward and extinquish the flame when the candle was suddenly impacted or tipped over.
The GIANGIULIO candle, due to the loose coupling and freely rotatable feature of its snuffer, provided suitable means for automatically extinquishing the flame, but had no provision for controlling flame intensity. The subject invention provides control of flame intensity and also affords positive means for automatically snuffing out the flame during an unstable condition of the candle.